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Think of a bottle of wine. Sometimes you can have good wine in a bad bottle. You look at the bottle and it is not that impressive but it tastes wonderful. Sometimes you have a bottle that looks terrific but the wine inside is not so good. The goal in effective communication should be to have both substance and style.

Science is built on practices, rules and procedures while art is more of an inherent creative process. The best communicators will learn to combine the two. They will take the best of each and create an effective outcome. Science without art can make communication seem sterile while art without science can make communication very chaotic. Your goal should be to combine creativity with discipline to create the most favorable outcome.

Let’s look at some examples…

The perfect “right down the middle” would be the late Steve Jobs. People would hang on his every word. That was because he would always couple the good science of technology and products and talk about them in an informative, factual way with his own passion and enthusiasm about the design and end user effectiveness.

A good example of the Science right but the art wrong would be the prototypical college professor that goes on and on, for example the character that Ben Stein played in the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. A great example of someone who disseminates the information and then strives for involvement, “Anyone, anyone, anyone?” This individual has the information down but has diminished the impact because of poor delivery and lack of creativity.

A good example of getting the Art right but the science wrong, are those who tend to be very passionate. You find yourself connecting with their enthusiasm but in the find yourself asking, “What was that all about?” You knew they felt strongly about something, you are just not sure what about.

So what is “Winning Communication”?

George Bernard Shaw said, “The problem with communication is the illusion it has been accomplished.” The potential for bad communication is of great. Especially in the fast paced word of the Internet, mobile devices and busy lives we lead. I remember some years ago my son, as we walked into a restaurant, read a sign on a chalkboard the read “Fish – All You Can Eat”. He looked at me and said, “Oh No! All you can eat is fish???” This is a perfect example of how, even just subtlety, misinterpreting communication one can come to the wrong conclusion.

Therefore, “Winning Communication” can be defined as being heard and understood. For “Winning Communication” to take place your message needs to not only be heard (or read) but the intended effect of that communication also needs to be achieved.

Keep in mind communication is in fact “response you get”. How effective you are communicating is more about what is “heard” than what is “said”. Often times we find ourselves saying, “But this is what I said” but if the person who responded didn’t “get it” then the responsibility of poor communication falls onto the person who said it.

Stay tuned for Part Two when I will share some of the wrong ways to avoid when communicating and the “C”s of communication.

Exercise is one of the best tools to help combat depression. Leading an active, physical lifestyle will help you to alleviate stress and increase your endorphin levels. The next time you feel sad, instead of wallowing in your depression, or engaging in negative activities like drinking alcohol or overeating, try going for a nice long walk or bike ride, and you will be amazed at how much better you feel.

In any business a large portion of sales will come from referrals; in the wedding business they are many times responsible for more than half of total sales. When you get a client/customer through a referral they are already motivated to buy from you which by default, should make your sale much easier.

I have made it my goal to help the Mobile DJ and Event Industry lose 1,000 pounds, including myself!

Several people have commented saying, “You don’t look like I need to lose weight”. Now, while I want to believe that most of the people who said that were only being nice, the fact of the matter is that I have worked hard for several years now trying to hide the truth about my weight.

Knowing that 40 is only a few years around the corner I have come to realize that if I don’t do something about my health and weight I will not be around to enjoy seeing my children get married or holding a grandchild in my arms. I won’t be able to live out the “golden years” I work so hard on now to have.

The first step is to overcome the fear of public criticism and admit I have a problem that needs to be fixed. I have decided to put together series of radical advertisements in hopes to accomplish 2 things:

1. To expose my weight issues to the world in a tactful and respectful way so that others will see that I truly do have some issues to work on. I do not in anyway want to offend anyone and will not say something about another person that I can’t say about myself.

2. To be a leader to others who may be in my very same position I am in and feel like they are alone.

The truth is you are not alone. 1 out of every 3 Mobile DJs is overweight or obese. The statistics are not too much better in the Event Industry as a whole. I hope that by taking the first step others will join me so that we can support and encourage one another to achieve our individual and collective goals together. Just by adding two or three people to your challenge will help you be accountable and increases your odds of success beyond belief.

I want to thank those who have already joined me and welcome any others that would like to be a part of the team. I can promise respect, love and support to every member of this team. Failure will not be an option and we will have a blast together!

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“The world will gladly pay you what you expect it to pay you, and never a dime more.”

David Hanscom Footer

David Hanscom, Director of Entertainment for Y? Entertainment and co-founder of Spirit Strong, a non-profit organization committed to inspiring and empowering challenged athletes and individuals with disabling injuries. He is acknowledged as an industry expert both locally and nationally. He began his career working for A.F.R.T.S. (Armed Forces Radio and Television Services) during High School, while living in Bermuda. David has also worked in a variety of entertainment fields including radio, television (music video show production), record company street teams and concert/event promotion & management firms.